The present invention relates to a recycling method for a process cartridge. The process cartridge integrally contains an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and charging means, developing means or cartridge, in the form of a unit or a cartridge, which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The process cartridge may contain the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means, in the form of a cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, the process cartridge may contain at least the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the developing means.
Examples of the image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (a laser beam printer or LED printer mountable), a facsimile machine, a word processor and the like.
Heretofore, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image process, a process cartridge type in which the electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally contained in a cartridge, which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. In such a process cartridge type, the maintenance of the apparatus can be carried out by the users without the serviceman, and therefore, the operativity can be improved significantly. For this reason, it is widely used in the image forming apparatus.
Such a process cartridge forms an image on recording material with a developer. Therefore, the developer is consumed in accordance with image forming operations. When the developer is consumed up to such an extent that user is not satisfied with the image quality, the commercial value of the process cartridge is lost.
It is desired that such a used process cartridge are is given the commercial value, again by remanufacturing the process cartridge through easy method.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a simple remanufacturing method for a process cartridge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method of a process cartridge wherein the process cartridge with which the developer is consumed to such an extent that user is not satisfied with the image quality is recycled to be given the commercial value.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge including a first unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a second unit supporting a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and having a developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer to be used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing roller, said first unit and said second unit being rotatably coupled with each other, said method comprising:
(A) a separating step of separating the first unit and the second unit from each other;
(B) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting from the second unit a developing blade, mounted into the second unit, for regulating an amount of the developer deposited on the developing roller;
(C) a developer filling step of filling the developer into the developer accommodating portion through a developer supply opening for supplying the developing roller from the developer accommodating portion;
(D) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade dismounted in said developing blade dismounting step to the second unit with a facing orientation which is opposite from a facing orientation before said developing blade dismounting step; and
(E) a unit coupling step of coupling the first unit and the second unit.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge including a first unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a second unit supporting a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and having a developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer to be used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing roller, said first unit and said second unit being rotatably coupled with each other, said method comprising:
(A) a separating step for separating the first unit and the second unit from each other;
(B) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting from the second unit a developing blade, mounted into the second unit, for regulating an amount of the developer deposited on the developing roller;
(C) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade dismounted in said developing blade dismounting step to the second unit with a facing orientation which is opposite from a facing orientation before said developing blade dismounting step;
(D) a developer filling step of filling the developer into the developer accommodating portion through a developer filling port provided in the developer accommodating portion; and
(E) a unit coupling step of coupling the first unit and the second unit.
According to a further object of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge including a first unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade for removing a developer remaining on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a second unit supporting a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and having a developer accommodating portion accommodating a developer to be used for developing the electrostatic latent image by the developing roller, said first unit and said second unit being rotatably coupled with each other, said method comprising:
(A) a separating step for separating the first unit and the second unit from each other;
(B) a drum replacing process of replacing the electrophotographic photosensitive drum mounted to said first unit with a new electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
(C) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller mounted to the second unit;
(D) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting a developing blade, mounted to the second unit, for regulating an amount of the developer by elastically contacting a part thereof to the developing roller, from the second unit;
(E) an elastic member mounting step of mounting an elastic member for applying a contact pressure to the developing roller from the developing blade which has been dismounted from the second unit and which is to be reused;
(F) a developer filling step of filling the developer into the developer accommodating portion through a developer supply opening for supplying the developing roller from the developer accommodating portion;
(G) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade dismounted in said developing blade dismounting step to the second unit with a facing orientation which is opposite from a facing orientation before said developing blade dismounting step;
(H) a developing roller mounting step of mounting the developing roller to the second unit; and
(I) a unit coupling process of coupling the first unit and the second unit.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.